संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 554 of 4582

Abhanga 554

English: Barking — let them bark — don't learn from them.

When barking-dogs are best left alone, not imitated — and you have to recognize this register
When the bhāvika doesn't trust the durjana's words — and you accept this rule
When publicly-rebuke the khaḷa, no pāpa — and you receive this license

The verse

भुंकती तीं द्यावीं भुंकों । आपण त्यांचें नये शिकों ॥१॥ भाविकांनीं दुर्जनाचें । मानूं नये कांहीं साचें ॥ध्रु.॥ होइल तैसें बळ । फजीत करावे ते खळ ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे त्यांचें । पाप नाहीं ताडणाचें ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: Barking — let them bark — don't learn from them. Bhāvika — durjana-words — don't take sācā. As much bala — fajīta — khaḷa. Tuka says: no pāpa — in tāḍaṇa.

मराठी: भुंकती तीं द्यावीं भुंकों — आपण त्यांचें नये शिकों. भाविकांनीं दुर्जनाचें — मानूं नये कांहीं साचें. होइल तैसें बळ — फजीत करावे ते खळ. तुकाराम म्हणतां — पाप नाहीं ताडणाचें.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
भुंकती तीं द्यावीं भुंकों "barking — let them bark"
आपण त्यांचें नये शिकों "we — don't learn from them"
भाविकांनीं दुर्जनाचें "bhāvika — durjana"
मानूं नये कांहीं साचें "don't take sācā"
होइल तैसें बळ "as much bala"
फजीत करावे ते खळ "fajīta — the khaḷa"
पाप नाहीं ताडणाचें "no pāpa — in tāḍaṇa"

What it means

A barking-dogs-don't-bark-back-no-pāpa-in-rebuke abhang. Public-discipline-of-wicked register. Three claims:

  1. भुंकती तीं द्यावीं भुंकों — आपण त्यांचें नये शिकों — barking — let them bark — don't learn from them. The opening-rule: those who are bhumkatī (barking) — let them bhumkōm (bark); we — don't śikōm (learn) from them. Don't-imitate-the-barkers; let-them-bark. The dog-image: dogs bark; don't bark-back at dogs.

  2. भाविकांनीं दुर्जनाचें — मानूं नये कांहीं साचें — bhāvika — durjana-words — don't take sācā. The bhāvika-rule: the bhāvika (sincere-bhakta) — the durjana (wicked-one)'s words; don't mānūm (take, accept) as sācā (true). Sincere-bhakta-doesn't-trust-wicked-words. Don't-give-the-durjana's-talk-credibility.

  3. होइल तैसें बळ — फजीत करावे ते खळ — तुका म्हणे त्यांचें — पाप नाहीं ताडणाचें — as much bala — fajīta — khaḷa — Tuka says: no pāpa — in tāḍaṇa. The closing-no-pāpa-claim: as much bala (strength) as comes / is possible; fajīta (publicly-rebuke, publicly-shame) the khaḷa (wicked); Tuka says: no pāpa (sin) — in the tāḍaṇa (smacking, chastising) of such. Public-rebuke-of-wicked-is-no-pāpa. License-to-publicly-rebuke-the-khaḷa*.

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names the dogs-bark-don't-bark-back-no-pāpa-in-rebuke register:

  1. Let barking-dogs bark; don't learn from them. Bhumkatī — bhumkōm — śikōm nakō. Don't-imitate-the-barkers; let-them-bark. Equanimity-but-not-imitation.

  2. The bhāvika doesn't trust the durjana*'s words. Bhāvika — durjana-vacana — sācā nakō. Don't-give-credibility-to-wicked-talk. Sincere-bhakta-discrimination*.

  3. With as much bala as possible, fajīta the khaḷa; no pāpa*. Bala — fajīta — khaḷa — pāpa nāhīm tāḍaṇa. Public-rebuke is licensed; no-pāpa-in-it. Active-rebuke-of-wicked is dharma*.

For today: let barking-dogs bark; don't bark-back; don't learn from them; the bhāvika doesn't trust the durjana's words; publicly-rebuke the khaḷa with whatever strength comes — there is no pāpa in the tāḍaṇa of such.

This abhang is Tukaram's active-rebuke-of-wicked register — the fajīta-khaḷa-no-pāpa license. Compare 0535 gāūm-vāūm ṭāḷī; same combative register but here directed at human-wicked. The bhumkatī-dyāvīm-bhumkōm image is colloquial-and-direct: dogs bark, leave them alone.

मराठी: ही ओवी dogs-bark-don't-bark-back-no-pāpa-in-rebuke register नाव सांगते:

  1. Barking-dogs ला bark करू द्या; त्यांच्याकडून शिकू नका. भुंकती — भुंकों — शिकों नका. Barkers-imitate नका; barking-होऊ-द्या. Equanimity-पण-imitation-नाही.

  2. Bhāvika durjana चे शब्द मानत नाही. भाविक — दुर्जन-वचन — साचा नका. Wicked-talk-credibility नका. Sincere-bhakta-discrimination*.

  3. जेवढं bala येईल, khaḷa ला fajīta करा; no pāpa*. बल — फजीत — खळ — पाप नाही ताडण. Public-rebuke licensed; no-pāpa-त्यात. Wicked-active-rebuke dharma*.

आज: Barking-dogs bark करू द्या; bark-back नका; त्यांच्याकडून शिकू नका; Bhāvika durjana चे शब्द trust करत नाही; जेवढं strength येईल त्यानं khaḷa ला publicly-rebuke करा — tāḍaṇa त pāpa नाही.

Tukaram च-active-rebuke-of-wicked-register — Fajīta-khaḷa-no-pāpa license. 0535 gāūm-vāūm ṭāḷī compare; तीच combative register पण इथे human-wicked-directed. Bhumkatī-dyāvīm-bhumkōm image colloquial-and-direct: कुत्रे भुंकतात, त्यांना सोडा.

Where this applies

Bhakti

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